Liverpool: Could Trent Alexander-Arnold end up in the LFC midfield?
By David Gate
While Trent Alexander-Arnold has been thriving at right back, could he eventually end up playing in the heart of the Liverpool midfield?
One of the huge positives from this season has been the development of Trent Alexander-Arnold. He has successfully made the transition from occasional bench guy to first team regular in under a year.
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The injury to Nathaniel Clyne has meant that almost all his time in the side has been at the right back position. That role is one of the easiest to help young player adapt to first team football. The job is well-defined and carries less responsibility than playing in central areas and less pressure to produce than playing on the wing.
Despite performing admirably with continued development at full back it bears asking the question is that going to be his long-term position? Does he have enough talent to play elsewhere? And could that position be central midfield?
On first glance he does not look like a prototypical Premier League center midfielder. He is shorter and lighter than most of his contemporaries. At only 19-years-old it is hard to say if he will grow much more but he will certainly bulk up as he hits his twenties.
It is clear that he is player who grew up watching Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. He is always willing to ping a 40 yard ball. And when he does it usually finds his man. He has the pace and first touch needed for the central role and it is only the more physical elements of the game that are currently lacking. We already know he can score goals!
It is highly unlikely we will see him in a midfield role for sometime with the current right back situation. Liverpool certainly have more cover for the midfield than they do at right back. The return of Nathaniel Clyne should free up Alexander-Arnold to get some minutes in other positions.
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Perhaps the most natural next step is to play some time on the wing; taking over from Mohamed Salah late in games we are comfortably winning. Yet eventually I would love to see him given an opportunity to play centrally. Everything feels better with a Scouser in the middle.